How to Bathe a Horse

This article was co-authored by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS. Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

There are 11 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.

If you're going to a show, or your horse is covered in mud, you'll need to give the animal a bath. Bear in mind that a horse can become chilled in cold weather, so it might be best to postpone until a sunny day.[1] If your horse is sick, consult your veterinarian before bathing the animal.

Gather the correct supplies. Properly bathing a horse requires the correct assortment of tools and supplies. Chief among these supplies are a shampoo and conditioner specifically designed for a horse.

You will also need an assortment of grooming tools such as a sweat scraper, body brush, curry comb, mane comb, and chamois leather or towels.[2] You will also need access to a water source, obviously, as well as a step stool if your horse is too tall for you to reach its back.

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Tie up your horse using a quick-release knot. Choose a place to tie your horse where the water will drain away. Most stables have wash racks or a part of the stable reserved for bathing horses.

A quick-release knot (or safety knot) is the best option because a panicked horse can injure itself or damage the barn/fence to which you’ve tied the animal.[3] This type of knot allows you to easily untie the horse with a tug on the knot instead of having to fumble while the horse pulls back on the rope.

Use the curry comb on the body of the horse. Work the comb in a circular motion to stir up and loosen dirt and debris within the coat.[4] You can then follow with a dandy brush to remove this detritus.[5]

A curry comb is a rubber- or plastic-bristled comb that you can use to gently stimulate circulation in the horse’s muscles and skin. The curry comb is usually the first step in grooming, and it loosens dirt and debris from the horse’s coat as well.[6]

A dandy brush is a stiff-bristled brush made from synthetic fibers or coarse animal hair. The brush is good for removing the layers of dirt and hair lifted by the curry comb. The brush is also good for removing mud from the horse’s legs and hoof walls.[7]

Use a dandy brush on the horse’s legs. Depending on your individual brush, a stiff curry comb can be too harsh for use on the legs, in which case just use the dandy brush on the legs. Brush downward along the lie of the hair to loosen off dried mud.

Use a mane comb on the horse’s mane and tail. Use a wide-toothed mane comb to tease out any debris or knots tangled in the mane or tail. For especially tangled knots, use your fingers to work them free, rather than tugging at them with a comb.[8]

Never stand directly behind the horse. When combing or washing the tail, stand beside the horse's rump and reach around to the tail. This way if the horse kicks with a back leg you are out of harm's way.

Wash the horse’s face. The horse is likely to be sensitive about having its face washed, so do this first before the rest of the bathing. Soak a sponge or a rag in warm water, then squeeze off the excess moisture. Wipe the face over, following the direction of the hair. Take care when working around the eyes that you don't squeeze water into them. This will upset the horse and cause unnecessary distress.

Never use shampoo on the horse's face, just plain water. If the face is very dirty, refresh your bucket of with clean water as many times as is necessary until the rinse water comes away clean.

Clean the horse’s anus and genitals. Now is a good time to clean the sheath in a male horse and around the anus regardless of the gender of the horse. For this, use clean wads of cotton wool or a clean cloth that you save just to wash these areas. Use a separate cloth for the anus as for the sheath.

Washing the sheath and penis of a male horse requires gentle sponging and rinsing of the area. You should also check the horse’s penis for potential abnormalities. You can find more information about the washing and examination process at: How to Clean the Sheath of a Horse

For the anus, simply dampen the cloth with water and wipe. Use a fresh area of the cloth when the first area becomes soiled. Keep gently wiping until the cloth comes away clean.

Never stand directly behind the horse to wash the anus. Always stand to one side.

Shampoo the horse’s coat. Once the coat is wet, apply a coin-sized amount of shampoo (as directed on the individual product) to a wet sponge and work it into the coat.[9] You will likely need to repeat this several times depending on the horse's size. You may also want to shampoo the horse’s body in sections because the shampoo can lead to a dry, dull coat if is sits long enough to dry.[10]

Shampoo is not always necessary. Be cautious about shampooing too frequently since it may strip the horse's coat of valuable oils that help to waterproof the coat in bad weather.

If the horse is a show animal and needs shampooing more than once a month, then you might need to think about stabling the animal as their natural ability to cope in bad weather is undermined.

Rinse the horse. Shampoo left in contact with the skin can irritate or dry it, leading to a dull coat. Always rinse the shampoo off well. To do this, either use a clean bucket of water and repeatedly rinse the coat with a damp sponge until no more foamy residue remains, or you can also gently hose the horse off.[11]

Dry the horse. Once satisfied the water running off the horse is clear and there is no shampoo residue left, you are ready to stop rinsing and dry the horse.

One option is to use a sweat scraper and to move it in the same direction as the hair. This squeezes the excess water from the coat. If you don't have a sweat scraper, you can use the edge of your hand to "squeegee" the water away.

Alternatively, use several clean dry towels to wipe the entire horse over and dry it off.

When you are satisfied the horse is as dry as possible, walk it for ten minutes or so in the sun. If it's clouded over, put an anti-sweat sheet or cooler blanket on the horse.

Wash the tail. You should clean your horse's tail as well, especially if it is a pale color. Because washing the tail doesn't chill your horse, you can wash it any time. Hold the bucket of warm water and shampoo up with one hand. With the other hand, lift the horse's tail into the bucket and then hold the bucket about level with the horse's dock. Clean as much of the tail as possible.

Swish the tail in the bucket, squeezing the dirt out. You can clean the top of the tail using a sponge dipped in warm water mixed with shampoo.

Rinse the tail off in several buckets of clean water. Dip the sponge into clean water and clean the top of the tail.

Dry off the tail with a towel. Let the horse graze in a sunny place to let the tail dry off.

Again, never stand directly behind the horse. Stand beside the horse’s rump and reach back with the bucket to avoid any potential kicking.

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Community Q&A

This depends on the temperament of the horse and how used to handling it is. If you are in doubt, try gently wetting the horse to see how it tolerates it. That way, if the horse becomes anxious, you can stop, rather than struggle to rinse shampoo off. If a horse is skittish or reacts badly, then take your time to get them used to each individual step, such as having all parts of their body handled, their legs wetted, and then other parts of the body.

No. If your horse gets very hot and sweaty, then bathing can help reduce rubs and sores. However, in the winter, the natural oils help to waterproof the coat, and shampooing can strip away these oils. Regular brushing is ideal, as this will remove dried mud, spread the natural oils, and improve the circulation to the skin, which helps conditioning.

Human skin has a different pH to horses, and the soaps work differently accordingly. Whilst your horse probably won't suffer any ill effects from a one-off wash with a mild human soap, it's not advisable for regular use as it could strip the natural oils or cause an allergic reaction.

Yes. For your safety, know that some horses hate water and may get very frisky when being bathed. Try to stay near the horse's shoulder and away from danger. For your horse's safety, try to only bathe the horse when it's warm out -- 70 Fahrenheit or above is recommended. Dry your horse afterward regardless of weather, and do not blanket a wet horse.

For your own safety, you should try and groom him instead of wash him. Also, when you wash do you use warm or cold water? You could try changing the temperature of the water and see if your horse reacts differently.

You'll need a hoof pick. Slide your hand down the leg and the horse will pick up its hoof. Use your pick to scrape out all the dirt around the horseshoe. Make sure you avoid the triangle (also called the "frog"), as it is a very sensitive part of the hoof.

Warnings

If it was very hot out make sure that your horse does not stay dripping wet after a bath because the excess water keeps the horse from expelling heat. It is better to use a scraper and towel and dry the horse to just a bit damp.

About This Article

This article was co-authored by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS. Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

If you need to bathe a horse, start by wiping its face with a wet sponge or rag. However, be careful not to squeeze water into its eyes, as that would probably upset the horse. Next, wet the horse’s body with a hose or a sponge dipped in water, then apply shampoo to the horse’s coat and rinse it away thoroughly. You may want to work in sections, because the shampoo might leave the horse’s coat dull if it sits too long. Wash the tail last, then dry the horse with towels or a sweat scraper.

Reader Success Stories

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Anonymous

Mar 10, 2017

"It helps me because I am doing a research paper, and I have chosen to do it on horses. One of my mini topics was how to clean a horse, so I looked that up and I saw this one, clicked on it and boom, it helped a lot. I got to learn stuff about how to clean horses that I did not know before, thank you so much for this article."..." more

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Lu Smith

Jun 19, 2017

"I am house-sitting with a 40-year-old rescue horse. I have not bathed a horse for 45 years, and do not wish to trust my memory. I am now confident that all will go well. He loves his baths, and I want to give him a treat. Many thanks."..." more

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Charles Quitoni

Jul 8, 2017

"I been away from horses for a long time so your article helped me to refresh my memory. I thank you for your tips and suggestions."..." more

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Cara Mattson

Mar 25, 2017

"Very helpful! I'll be purchasing 7 horses within the next month and need to learn everything I possibly can."

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Bob

Sep 6, 2017

"Just how well explained it is, so easy to follow. Thank you so much! Really helpful! :)"

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Ronal Ford

Sep 6, 2016

"I've been trained for horse riding and grooming. These tips are so helpful to me. "